Insulating building block



June 23, 1936. c. J. CHAPLIN INSULATING BUILDING BLOCK Filed Aug. 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MAE/v70? I June 23, 1936. c. J. CHAPLIN INSULATING BUILDING BLOCK Filed Aug. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 23; 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE aussis msum'rmc BUILDING 51.0016

Charles J. Chaplin, Waterville, Maine, assignor to Chaplin Corporation. Portland, Maine,

corporation oi. Maine Application August 26, 1935, Serial No. 37,894

10 Claims. (01. 92-55) I have little mechanical strength in themselves and are composed of materials having relative low heat conductivity plus an ability to form large numbers of small; individual air cells. This air cell space in total is great in proportion to the space occupied by the materials themselves. I

To retain the efliciency of suchmaterial in use it is necessary that it be relatively loosely packed in the space which is to be insulated and that the natural air cell structure of this material be retained. It isalso undesirable to mix other materials with the insulating material, which materials may increase the heat conductivity and reduce the relative air cell spaced. 7

Various methods and devices have heretofore been employed in the use of heat insulating materials; particularly those of mineral characteristics or composition. They have been formed in mats or sheets enclosed in wire or other forms to retain them in approximate shape and to permit handling while being installed. These materials, however, used in this way cause considerable difllculties in handling, require careful installation and must be protected after installation by an additional surfacing or coat of material to protect them against damage and to serve to render the surfaces air impervious.

Another method .01. using these materials is to compress them into a block orslab adding such binder or'other materials as may be necessary to retain the block or slab in shape after being pressed. Not only do the binder materials re-,

duce the insulating value but the compression of the material into the block or slab greatly reof heat and other insulating values 01' these'materials.

Reference is made to the following ilgures:

Fig. 1 is an exterior viewofthestructure used to produce the insulating block. I

Fig. 2 is a cross section through'the structure online 2-2 of Fig. 1 and shows-the insulating material retained within the structure and ready for its fibrous protective covering.

' 6 of the box is placed in position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the structure of Fig. 2. showing the insulating material and the protective grid 01 ribbed covering deposited thereon.

Fig. 4 is an exterior view of a portion otthe i'ormed block showing the grid or ribbed enclos 'ing structure. I

Fig. 5 shows the perforated suction tube which is placed inside of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. v a

The structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a grid frame or box of the desired shape-and inside size oi the block, slab or other insulating block or article which it is desired to make. This structure consists of a bottom section 5, a top section 6, two end sections 1 and8 and two side sections 9 and ill. These six sections when assembled together form. an enclosing structure or box in which ,is placed the insulating material to be used. 20

,-'other fibrous materials will pass between them when carried by a suitable conveying liquid in which these fibres are held in suspension.

Extending into the interior of the box structure are one or more perforated tubes or pipes 4 shown in detail in Fig. 5. These pipes or tubes have small perforations ll throughout the entire area which is inside of the bars 20! the box. This tube or pipe 4 is .connected tosuction or vacuum producing equipment not shown.

In producing an article in-accordance with my invention the bottom 5 and the four sides I, 8, 9, and. Iii and the vacuum pipe- 4 are placed in position and assembled together. The box is then filled with the insulating material 3 and the top The entire box structure with the material therein is then imnamed in a liquid suspension of pulp or other fibrous material and suction is applied to the peri'orated pipe or tube 4. This results in an evacuation of a portion of the air within the insulating mass causing the liquid of the fibrous pulp suspension to flow into the mass. Due to the relaticles of the insulating mass the fibrous materials penetrate only a short distance and become deposited largely on the surface of the mass in the form of a. grid or ribbed structure l5 by virtue of the spaces i between the bars 2.

To further insure the thorough and eflicient tying together of the entire enclosing fibrous structure smallnotches or slots l 4 are cut transversely of the bars 2 which provide for connecting ribs m the bars 2. In Fig. 4 the main ribs are shown at l2 and the connecting ribs at I3.

When'a sufiicient quantity of the fibrous materials have been deposited on the surface of the insulating mass and in the spaces I and I4 between and under the bars 2, the box isremoved from the liquid suspension with vacuum still being applied to the pipe 4. I The continued application of vacuum causes air to pass through the fibrous enclosing material and to replace the structure is solidified so that it can be removed from the box by removing the top and sides of this structure. The perforated pipe 4 is then withdrawn and the article after being removed from the box can be further dried to'insure that all remaining water or liquid is removed from the insulating material and the fibrous structure which now encloses it. If desired the hole left in the articleby the perforated tube can be filled. with insulating material.

During such drying the fibrous enclosing grid structure has a tendency to shrink slightly insuring that this structure holds the mass of insulating material firmly in place but does not 'compress it sufficiently to materially reduce the natural air cell space which this material inherently provides. Nor does my invention make it necessary to use any foreign or binding material in the insulating mass in order to retain itin the shape desired.

A further advantage of my article is to provide one which has a minimum of enclosing protective material and one which is so constructed as. to be mechanically strong and to provide an. attractive and useful insulating unit which can "be readily installed in place. The rib or grid sur- 'face structure also provides additional air space between the surface of the article and the wall or other surface against which this article may be used.

It also. provides for a certain flexibility of article surface enabling it to readily adapt itself to small unevenness of the surfaces against which r it is placed and-to insure an air tight and efllcient joint or contact between the article and the build ing structure with which it may be associated.

If necessary or desirable the fibrous enclosing material can be treated to make it fire resistant. It alsomay be treated to make it waterproof. This waterproof treatment maybeaccomplished by treating the fibrous materials before they are formed about the insulating mass or by coating or impregnating this material after it has been formed and dried in place.

f not only render the protective coating waterproof but also will make it air impervious so that the insulating-characteristics of the material within the fibrous structure will be maintained indefinitely.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- I

1. The method of retaining .a mass of loosely packed insulating ,material .in" a predetermined shape which consists in placing the'material in an enclosing structure having a plurality of open- I ings and of encasing the material by depositing 'tainer composed of bars, with openings therebe -fined substantially to the exterior thereof. I

9. An article of the class described comprising This treatment will L 2,045,540 between the main ribs, which are formed between on the mass of the material a fibrous binder, for adherence to and confinement substantially to the exterior of the mass.

2. The method of retaining a mass of loosely I packed insulating material in a predetermined 5 shape which consists in placing the material in an enclosing structure having a plurality of openings and of encasing the materialby depositing through said openings and the surface of the mass of the material a'fibrous binder.

3. The method of retaininga mass of loosely packed insulating material in a predetermined shape which consists in placing the material in an enclosing structure having a plurality of openings and of depositing by vacuum through said openings and the surface of the mass of the material a fibrous binder. n 4. The method of forming a block of insulating material which consists in placing the material in a container having a plurality of openings, of immersing the container in a liquid containing fibrous material in suspension, creating a vacuum inside the mass of material and of deposit-' ing a fibrous coating on the insulating material. 5. The method of forming an insulating block which consists in'placing an insulating material in a box having narrow openings therein, of inserting a perforated suction tube in the approximate center of the mass of material and placing the container in a liquid containing pulp fibres in suspension and of creating suction in the perforated tube. a

6. The method of forminga block ofinsulating material which consists in providing a closed contween, of providing a plurality of notches on the inner surface of said bars, of providingv a perforated suction pipe in the approximate center of said container, of filling said container with v insulating material and of depositing on the surface of the material through the openings in the bars a layer of fibrous material by creating a suction within the mass of insulating material.

7. An article of theclass described comprising a mass of insulating material and a fibrous coating surrounding said mass deposited thereon by suction, said coating being united to the mass and confined substantially to. the exterior thereof.

8. An article of the class described comprising a mass of insulating material and a'fibrous c'overing over such material, said fibrous covering being deposited on'the surface of said material by suction created within the mass of said material, said coating being united to the mass and cona mass of material, a fibrous coating of ribbed cross'section surrounding said material and deposited thereon by suction, said coating being united to the mass as confined substantially to the exterior thereof/ 10. The method of retaining amass of loosely packed material in a predetermined shape which consists-in placing the material in an enclosing 65 structure and of encasing the collective material as a single unit by depositing on the exterior of the collective mass of the -material a fibrous binder forming a substantially seamless enclosure confined substantially to the exterior of the 70 mass. 

